Published: January 27, 2025
MONROVIA – The troubles of Madam Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, the suspended Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC), seem far from over. Reports gathered by The Liberian Investigator indicate that she was recently chased out of her office by aggrieved staffers, who warned her not to return unless President Joseph Nyumah Boakai formally communicates her reinstatement to the Board of Commissioners (BoC).
According to one of the staffers, Madam Browne-Lansanah has been attempting to convene meetings with her fellow Commissioners despite her indefinite suspension by the President.
“The last time she came here, we were angry because what she was doing was a gross disrespect to the office of the President,” an aggrieved staffer, who was recently dismissed by Browne-Lansanah, told The Liberian Investigator. “When you are suspended, you have no business returning to the workplace unless formally reinstated. She thinks she’s above the law, but we are watching. We trust the President to make the best decisions for the country, and personal friendships won’t change that overnight.”
The staffer added that they have had enough of what they described as Madam Browne-Lansanah’s troubling leadership style and no longer wish to work with her.
Another staff member disclosed that on Friday, January 24, 2025, Madam Browne-Lansanah visited the NEC premises and attempted to enter her office despite being suspended. She was denied entry and later called the police, alleging that she had been attacked and threatened by staff.
“She contacted Nelson Freeman, the Deputy Police Director for Operations, claiming we attacked her. He arrived but soon discovered the truth and left, disappointed that she had wasted his time,” the source revealed.
In what appears to corroborate these claims, The Liberian Investigator obtained a memorandum from NEC Co-Chairperson Madam P. Teplah Reeves, instructing the security department to deny Madam Browne-Lansanah entry to the Commission’s premises during her suspension.
Addressed to Mr. Kun Lewis, head of NEC security, the memo stated: “You are hereby instructed to stop and prevent the suspended Chairperson of the National Elections Commission, as of Friday, January 24, 2025, from entering the premises of the Commission pending further instruction from the Executive Mansion.”
The directive reportedly followed repeated instances of Madam Browne-Lansanah’s presence at the NEC, which staff described as disruptive and provocative. Some of the aggrieved staff were allegedly dismissed by her without receiving their December salaries, leaving them unpaid during the Christmas festive period.
A member of the Board of Commissioners confirmed that when Deputy Police Director Freeman inquired about Madam Browne-Lansanah’s claims of being attacked, Co-Chairperson Reeves explained that Madam Browne-Lansanah’s suspension rendered her unauthorized to be at the Commission.
“The Co-Chairperson asked the Deputy Police Director: ‘Would you tolerate a suspended police officer defying your authority and returning to work?’ Freeman acknowledged that such behavior would be unacceptable,” the Commissioner recounted.
Cllr. Reeves declined to comment on the matter.
When contacted, Madam Davidetta Browne-Lansanah denied knowledge of the memo barring her from entering the NEC premises. “I am just hearing this from you. Whatever the case may be, I have no comment,” she said via phone.
Reports suggest that Madam Browne-Lansanah is lobbying senior government officials, including Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Dr. Augustine Konneh (a senior advisor to President Boakai), Foreign Minister Sarah Beslow Nyanti, and Justice Minister Cllr. Oswald Tweh, to persuade the President to rescind her suspension. It is alleged that some officials argue her removal might negatively impact Liberia’s eligibility for the U.S. Compact Challenge funding.
Before these recent incidents, Madam Browne-Lansanah was embroiled in a 2022 investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) for allegedly misappropriating over US$180,000. She was accused of awarding a contract to her biological brothers for the rental of 20 facial recognition thermometers, which reportedly failed to function as expected, sparking concerns over the high costs involved.
Although the courts did not convict Madam Browne-Lansanah, her legal team argued that the LACC lacked jurisdiction due to the absence of an Ombudsman at the time. Former Presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and George Weah failed to establish the office of the Ombudsman, but President Boakai has since done so. However, the Ombudsman has yet to investigate the formal complaints against her.
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